The present invention relates to a quick release fitting. More specifically, but without limitation, the present invention relates to a common mobile aircrew restraint system interface emergency release assembly.
The United States Navy seeks to improve methods of restraining mobile crew members of air vehicles. Currently, rotary wing mobile aircrew members rely on the Gunner's Belt as the sole means of restraint and protection while flying unseated in aircraft. The Gunner's Belt system has several deficiencies and led to many mishaps including fatalities. These deficiencies include improper loading on the wearer during load events such as a fall or crash, inefficiencies induced to the wearer during mission duties, and limits on reliability of restraint. Those deficiencies have also attributed to several mishaps resulting in fatalities and injuries of aircrew.
The Gunner's Belt is intended to be worn around the chest, although aircrew often wear the belt around the torso and soft organs. Either location is injurious or sometimes fatal when the system is loaded via a fall or crash scenario, as the 3-inch wide webbing of the Gunner's Belt concentrates all the energy to the wearer in areas of low tolerance to force.
With the current Gunner's Belt system, users commonly encounter the problem of inadvertent release of the restraint due to the highly vulnerable latch release device that is exposed about the front torso of the wearer. Any contact with this release device, such as accidental sweeping contact with the aircraft structure, manipulating equipment within the aircraft, or lying on the floor to conduct certain mission duties, could result in inadvertent release of the system. Upon release, not only is the wearer unrestrained, resulting in a major safety hazard, the wearer must interrupt the mission to reconnect, resulting in mission inefficiency and possible mission failure.
The Gunner's Belt system is simply a belt intended to be worn around the chest with an adjustable length of tether that attaches to aircraft structure. This method of restraint has demonstrated limits on reliability. Should a wearer be suspended from the system with arms raised above their head, it is easy to realize the system shortfalls, as the restraint belt can lose all restraint-capability and freeing the wearer from restraint. Furthermore, if the tether is fully extended and the wearer is in a fall or crash scenario, the wearer can be thrown outside the aircraft via cabin doors or windows.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an system described below.